Welcome to “A Day in the Life!” where you can get to know our residents and see into their daily life.
PL-1 Riley Fabich
Riley, tell us about yourself – where did you grow up and where did you go to school?
I am from Colorado Springs, CO and I spent most of my life in Colorado before moving to Connecticut for residency! I am the youngest of three girls, which I always joke can tell you everything you need to know about me. I attended undergrad at Colorado State (Go Rams!) and medical school at RVUCOM in Colorado. Though I do miss my Rocky Mountains, so far I am loving New England!
Why did you choose our residency program?
The more I got to know UConn/Connecticut Children’s, the more I fell in love with the program. During my away rotation here, I was blown away by the culture at Connecticut Children’s. A lot of programs claim to have a good culture, but here it’s genuinely true. I wanted to be somewhere I knew I would work hard and get great training, but also somewhere where I felt a sense of belonging. I also really wanted to train at a dedicated/standalone children’s hospital and Connecticut Children’s is not only that, but also a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center and has a Level IV NICU, which makes for an incredible learning environment.
Why did you want to be a pediatrician?
Of course I love working with kids, but beyond that I feel that pediatricians are uniquely positioned to make a huge impact on outcomes for their patients. Pediatricians get to be the first physicians a child will know and hopefully help establish a safe and trusting relationship between the child and the medical system. My oldest sister was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as a teenager, and so I got to see these relationships and support play out firsthand for my family which really inspired my journey toward pediatrics.
What have you liked best about your intern year at Connecticut Children's so far?
I have loved getting to know and work with all the other residents. The seniors have been so incredibly kind and helpful and have helped make it such a positive learning environment. I also love how supportive my class is, and I know I can always lean on them if I need anything!
What has been your favorite experience as a resident?
We often do “dress up/theme Fridays” when we are on an inpatient rotation on the floors and while I was on MS7 we had a Taylor Swift Eras dress up day and we all dressed as different eras and made friendship bracelets. It was so fun and we learned many of our patients and their families are also Swifties!
What are you considering for your career after residency?
I am considering pediatric emergency medicine or pediatric hospital medicine but ask me again after intern year because I am so excited to get exposure to many more subspecialties this year!
What do you enjoy doing outside of the hospital?
I love to go on walks while catching up with my family and friends on the phone. I am a romantic comedy and Gilmore Girls fanatic (which is fitting now that I live in CT)! I like to spend time with my husband and explore places nearby. So far, we have visited NYC, Boston, Newport, and Long Island. I also enjoy pilates, crafts, and vlogging.
